A Scottish Soldier
Have you heard the tune Green Hills of Tyrol referred to as A Scottish Soldier? That would be because Andy Stewart sang a song to…
Drum Fanfare - Salute to Bobby Rae - Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt0CEVC_gq8 The drum corp from Field Marshall showing us some fantastic musicality, rudiments and groove baby. Have a listen to that swing.
Jeremy T. - Phase 3 - The Marquis of Huntly
https://youtu.be/APzHnQumP04 Hi Jeremy, Sorry for the delay. There's a few notes below I'd love to work on before we continue on, but the good news…
Why Tuning Is Not Enough - Foundations of Great Bagpipe Sound
Don’t you just love the sound of a beautifully tuned bagpipe? The full harmonic sound of the drones blended perfectly with the chanter notes. Are you amazed how professional pipers seem to tune easily and get that steady full sound? What if I told you that it’s not just about good tuning?
The Two Cardinal Rules of Embellishments
When we listen to the great players, embellishments really do seem like rocket-science. How the heck are those players getting that sort of sound to…
Ben Timberlake: The Third Phase
I started learning the pipes in my early 20s and received my first set as a 21st birthday gift – just before I embarked on careers…
What Is the Graduated Tuning Effect?
Your chanter seems to sound a bit flat in pitch. Or your Pipe Major says your chanter is “too sharp.” What is the first thing that many pipers will do?
A (Controversial?) Blast From the Past
I wrote the article that follows about a decade ago for The Voice Magazine (EUSPBA's quarterly magazine). It received some criticism from other bagpipe methodologies…
Heather McFarlane: Bagpipes Saved My Life
I started learning the bagpipes at the age of 9. I grew up in a very remote village and while I was studying piano simultaneously,…